Childhood Rewritten
by AngryChair
Summary: After the death of his widely fatherly best friend, Maes Hughes, Roy Mustang grew to accept and embrace his paternal feelings towards the Elric brothers. So is he ready to raise the troubled homunculus boy who shows up at the door of his girlfriend's apartment one night and claims that Roy's the only one who can help him achieve his complicated goal?
1. Chapter 1

"He's just a child... but Colonel Gron ordered... they weren't even hurting us, and the Ishbalans, we've been worse to them... how badly do you want your damn stone any-"

_Smack!_

A quick, not too hard slap in the face awoke Roy from his nightmare, and his one eye returned him to the periwinkle walls and hardwood floors of Riza Hawkeye's apartment Slowly, he took in the soft sheets and his girlfriend's warmth.

"Sorry about that," she whispered, "Same dream as usual?"

Roy sighed, clasping his hand over hers as she touched his cheek. "I think these Ishbal flashbacks will haunt me for the rest of my life. I guess I deserve it, whether it be by karma or equivalent exchange. You'd think the eye was enough."

"Don't be ridiculous. You were following-"

"Don't." he said, "Doctor Marcoh was a good person who was just following horrendous orders, but that doesn't excuse him from the horrendous things he did. He knew that." Roy looked her in the eye; just one glance at her could determine her depth, her strength, her determination. "Riza... do me a favor, okay, babe?"

"What is it?"

Roy sighed and quickly kissed her cheek. "Be careful with yourself- and keep an eye on Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, too."

"You know how it is in the military, Roy." Riza admitted, "I can't promise-"

"Good point. Maes even promised... but if he'd kept to it- damn it, he took a desk job to keep out of harm's way. And then he put himself out there with the whole Juliet Douglas thing... he wasn't even ordered to, and you could just-"

"I understand, Roy. But thanks to you, the military will only put us on the line for good reasons. Let's try to get a little more sleep." she said as she lay down against his chest.

"Alright." he muttered, placing one hand on her back, between her shoulder blades. He placed the other hand on the back of her head, trailing it down her neck and her spine and then looping it over her waist. "Just stay with me." he whispered, "The best you can."

Just as Roy sank down against the bed and closed his eye, he swore he heard movement outside, followed by someone muttering angrily to themself.

"You hear something?" he whispered.

"It's probably just a mouse... we'll deal with it tomorrow. Get some sleep."

A few moments later, the melancholy muttering resonated again from the hall just outside the apartment, followed by a soft _clunk. _This time, they both heard it.

"Ignore it." Riza ordered, "I worry about you when you don't get enough sleep."

"I don't know... if someone's out there, knowing us, it could be a threat. I'll go check."

Before Riza could protest, Roy carefully moved out from beneath her and hesitantly stood and walked to the door. When he opened it, he was alarmed to find a young boy, no older than ten, sitting with his knees pulled to his face. The boy had thick, stick-straight raven hair that was about half as long as he was tall. One the boy's arms and the corresponding leg were automail that looked identical to Ed's, if he could recall. He was wearing tight black shorts and what looked like a loose, cropped black turtleneck. The most peculiar aspect of his appearance were the dark red lines that traced his flesh arm and torso, with a large circle on his elbow.

_The same markings as Bradley had, _Roy thought, _this kid must be the homunculus that was fought over in South Headquarters._

Cautiously, Roy greeted, "Hey, kid..."

The boy peered up, revealing his lilac eyes, wide and trembling with fear, before he tucked his head back into his knees and squeezed himself tighter into the fetal position.

Roy got down on one knee, knowing it might not be safe, but even if he was a homunculus, this boy seemed fairly harmless. "Listen, I know exactly what you are... but I have no intentions of hurting you. I just want to know... why did you come here? Do you know who I am?"

The book looked up again, and this time, held his gaze, but with a faint glare upon his own face. "You're Roy Mustang, the one who killed Pride. And I'm here because..." the boy paused, narrowing his eyes and lowering his brows, "You're one of the people Alphonse Elric told me about, when I talked to him... I want someone to do something for me, and it has to be an alchemist, and one who's seen another one of... you know-"

"Another homunculus, like you."

"I guess." the boy said. "I hate it so much. And I couldn't go to the witch who made me this way, because I'll never forgive her even if she had good intentions, and I can't go to the Rockbells, because they don't get what makes me different, and I can't go to the Tringams because they're still kids, like me, and Al said they didn't really know much about homunculi... he gave me a long list, and I went through it and ruled you out. You, or no one."

"Slow down." Roy said, "I don't know your whole situation, okay? Let me go back in and change into something presentable and we can take a walk, and you can tell me everything you need to. I'll try to keep an open mind."

"How do you expect me to go out there with my tattoos out in the open? Some people will know what I am, you know."

"There's barely anyone out there."

"Well I'm not going out like this!" Wrath shouted, standing very abruptly.

"Quiet!" Roy hissed, fists at his sides, "You'll wake up everyone on the floor, that won't end well. Just... come in, but try to keep it down, my girlfriend's asleep and even she wouldn't like to wake up to some distraught looking kid she's never seen before."

"Fine." the boy agreed, "But since it was your idea, we're definitely going for a walk, and you'll let me borrow some of your clothes."

"This is my girlfriend's apartment, I only have the pajamas I'm wearing now and what I wore yesterday. I'll see what I can salvage, but I'll only let you have it if you keep your mouth shut."

The boy crossed his arms and glared at the floor. "Deal." he muttered, following Roy in and sitting in a chair against the wall as Roy signaled.

With haste, Roy changed into his casual white shirt and black pants from the day before, deciding he could lend his pajama top to the boy. As for pants... well, he hadn't noticed any markings below his waist.

"Here." he whispered, tossing his unbuttoned pajama top to the young homunculus "Just put it over your shirt, or whatever you call that thing you're wearing."

The boy slipped his arms into the sleeves, but glared down at his torso, puzzled. "Why is it still open?"

"You have to button it." Roy told him, "You know how to do that, right?"

"No... I used to be able to transmute my clothes, and when I was treated like a human boy, the evil lady who made me gave me shirts that I just slipped over my head..."

"Well, for the time being, this is your choice. Look, copy what I'm doing." Roy unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and then slid the button back into the hole with ease. "Now you try."

The boy struggled to get the first button done, but by the fourth, he was natural at it. "So what about my thigh? You can still see the markings there, too."

It was true- on the boy's right thigh, a large red dot identical to the one on his elbow sat where the red line ended. "Tie my coat around your waist. I'll be okay without it."

The boy stood up as Roy handed him his coat. He still looked out of place with it tied around his waist, along with his atrocious hair and the automail, but all he'd asked for was that the markings be covered. Roy left Riza a note and brought the homunculus boy to the elevator, the main lobby, the exit, and finally outside, where they headed to a nearby city park.

"So, kid," Roy began as they treaded along the paved walkway that lined the lush grass hills where dirt walkways intertwined with trees and flower beds scattered at their sides. "You got a name?"

"For now, it's Wrath," the boy told him, "but if I ever get what I want, it'll need to change."

"And what do you want, exactly?"

"I want," Wrath told him, "to live and be treated like a real human boy."


	2. Chapter 2

Roy pressed his lips into a hard line as he glared down at the strange boy walking at his side. "And why do you need my help?"

"I didn't understand how to button my shirt," Wrath said, "I don't know basic things like that about human life. I want someone to teach me them, and it has to be you. I already told you why."

"Right. I'm an adult, I'm an alchemist, and I've pried far enough into my work to have dealt with other homunculi before."

"And it's not your fault that I'm alive... or whatever you want to call it."

"You know, I didn't get rid of Führer Bradley because he was a homunculus. I got rid of him because he's been using millions of lives for his own selfish purposes... to create the stone. He didn't even want to bring anyone back or to help anyone he cared about. I've met humans who were just as heartless and bloodthirsty, and if I could've gotten away with it, I know would've killed those bastards long ago before they died. Pretty much everyone I've ever truly despised is dead, and the weird thing is that I still feel bad for them."

"And you're a soldier..." Wrath mused, "I dont get it!" he began to lament, bursting into tears, "I want to value humans just like you do! I don't care if I'm 'actually' a human, I just-"

"Kid- Wrath, calm down! Nothing's even-"

"You woudln't know... you've had many years of life, and I haven't even had a day! _Agh_!" Out of the blue, Wrath ran off the walkway and took a propellant leap towards a tree, ramming his fists into it. Roy looked at him in awe- just a year ago, Roy would've simply ignored this, maybe even tried to stay away from something like this.

Now, he found himself walking to the ill-tempered boy and standing next to him as he knelt and rammed his knuckles into the tree trunk, trying his best to comfort him. "You know, you can say anything to me. I mean, I just met you, but-"

"I have to ask you something." Wrath grumbled under his breath, halting pounding his fists against the tree, falling back from his knees into a cross legged position on the packed dirt that circled the tree. "Do you think that... would you consider me- a-alive?"

He continued to grit his teeth and sob as he stared up at Roy, now looking more fearful than angry, but still inexplicably lost. "Well, kid, I... listen, I don't know you well, all I really know is that you're a homunculus. But, the way you've been acting... lost, confused, unsure of who or what you are and what you're supposed to do in this messed up and chaotic world... I know how that is; believe me, everyone does. That's really what life is, isn't it? Trying your hardest to push past all the struggles because you know that amongst all of it, there's something beautiful out there, something you'll never get without moving forward." Wrath looked Roy straight in the eye, "You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone _more_ alive."

Wrath's eyebrows curved to the side- to him, this compliment was almost too much to endure. He'd just met Roy, but Wrath could tell he was genuinely grinning. "Good. Then teach me." he hissed.

"Teach you what?"

"Like I said- teach me how to be human."

Roy's grin faded and for a moment he didn't know how to get the words out without pushing Wrath into another tantrum. "Wrath, I don't know how to say it- well, from a scientific stand point, you simply aren't human. I'm not saying you're anything less, just- something else entirely. I'm sorry, but I can't change that. No one can."

"I know." Wrath admitted, standing up, "But I don't care. I can still live like one and look like one and act like one even if it's all fake. I don't need a human body for people to accept me, do I?"

"I guess not... but if you really want me to help you with this, you're going to need to patient with me. I've taught people about alchemy and combat, but as for just teaching someone how to be socially acceptable-"

"It won't be easy for me either. I just... I need it more than anything, and I don't know who else to go to! Please!"

"Okay, okay... I can try this." Roy said, putting his hands up.

"If you can't, no one can."

"I got that... let's just head back to my girlfriend's apartment and try to get as much sleep as we can. For this one night, you might have to sleep on the floor with whatever blanket I can find."

"I don't need one. I don't sleep too much, and when I do, I sleep outside."

"Well, then. I guess that can be the first that changes."

"Sure, whatever... um, thanks for agreeing to this, I think... that's what I say right?"

"Just 'thanks' is enough." Roy told him, proceeding to yawn as he turned to the gate at the entrance of the park. _What the Hell did I just get myself into, _he thought, _This should be interesting._


End file.
